L.A.-based Local Natives have unveiled a new track from their forthcoming second album, Hummingbirds. It’s a bigger, more textured sound for the band, while retaining the rambunctious energy that made their first album such a delight. The band played Amoeba a while back as well — check out photos from that performance here.

Kendrick Lamar, of West Coast supergroup Black Hippy (Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul) and from our city of Compton, has dropped the first track form his upcoming first official album, good kid, m.A.A.d city (preorder here). “Backseat Freestyle” really does sound like he’s f-ing the world for 72 hours, as he says in the song. It’s tough and laid back and self-assured as its title would imply.

It’s great to hear from Oakland rappers The Coup again, especially sounding as ferocious as they do here, and boosted by guest spots from high-profile rappers Das Racist and Killer Mike, whose recent albums Relax and R.A.P. Music, respectively, are excellent. Their newest album, Sorry to Bother You, is out Oct. 30. See photos from The Coup's Amoeba Hollywood performance here.

I can’t stop listening to Kitten’s “Cut it Out” lately. And now the band, featuring young Siouxsie in training Chloe Chaidez, has unveiled another video from their great Cut It Out EP. Kitten’s pop-for-the-rest-of-us is just killer; I think this band is gonna be huge, or they should be. They play Oct. 25 at the Echo with L.A. psych-pop faves White Arrows.